SERMON TITLE:SERMON TITLE:““THE MEANING THE MEANING

OF HOPEOF HOPE””Part IIPart IITEXT(sTEXT(s):):

Acts 26:1Acts 26:1--77

LITURGICAL LITURGICAL SEASONS: SEASONS: Advent Advent (4)(4)

Christmas/Christmas/EpiphEpiph.. (2)(2)Lent/Holy Week Lent/Holy Week (7)(7)

Resurrection Resurrection SeasnSeasn (7)(7)Pentecost Pentecost (24+)(24+)

LECTIONARY:LECTIONARY:~~PrePre--Assigned, Assigned,

Scheduled readings from Scheduled readings from the Holy Scripturesthe Holy Scriptures

~~33--Year Cycle Year Cycle (Synoptic Gospels)(Synoptic Gospels)

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””Then Agrippa said to Then Agrippa said to

Paul, Paul, ““You are permitted to You are permitted to speak for yourself.speak for yourself.”” So Paul So Paul stretched out his hand and stretched out his hand and

answered for himself:answered for himself:””Acts 26:1Acts 26:1

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””I think myself happy, King I think myself happy, King

Agrippa, because today I shall Agrippa, because today I shall answer for myself before you answer for myself before you concerning all the things of concerning all the things of which I am accused by the which I am accused by the

Jews,Jews,”” Acts 26:2Acts 26:2

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””especially because you especially because you

are expert in all customs are expert in all customs and questions which have and questions which have

to do with the Jews. to do with the Jews. Therefore I beg you to Therefore I beg you to

hear me patiently.hear me patiently.””Acts 26:3Acts 26:3

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””My manner of life from my My manner of life from my

youth, which was spent form youth, which was spent form the beginning among my own the beginning among my own nation at Jerusalem, all the nation at Jerusalem, all the

Jews know.Jews know.””Acts 26:4Acts 26:4

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””They knew me from the They knew me from the

first, if they were willing to first, if they were willing to testify, that according to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our the strictest sect of our

religion I lived a religion I lived a PhariseePharisee””Acts 26:5Acts 26:5

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””And now I stand and And now I stand and

am judged for the am judged for the hopehopeof the of the PromisePromise made made

by GOD to our fathers.by GOD to our fathers.””Acts 26:6Acts 26:6

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””To this promise our To this promise our

twelve tribes, earnestly twelve tribes, earnestly serving GOD night and serving GOD night and

day, day, hopehope to attain. For to attain. For this this hopehope’’ss sake, King sake, King

Agrippa, I am accused by Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.the Jews.”” Acts 26:7Acts 26:7

OBSERVATIONS:OBSERVATIONS:GEOGRAPHY: GEOGRAPHY:

HopeHope, Arkansas, Arkansas

AMERICAN LIT.: AMERICAN LIT.: Emily Dickinson:Emily Dickinson:

““HopeHope……thing with feathersthing with feathers””

OBSERVATIONS:OBSERVATIONS:GRK MYTHOLOGY: GRK MYTHOLOGY:

PandoraPandora’’s Boxs BoxWithout Without hopehope to to

accompany their troubles, accompany their troubles, humanity was in despair!humanity was in despair!

OBSERVATIONS:OBSERVATIONS:PHILOSOPHY: PHILOSOPHY:

Friedrich NietzscheFriedrich Nietzsche““hopehope is the most is the most

evil of evilsevil of evils……it it prolongs torment.prolongs torment.””

OBSERVATIONS:OBSERVATIONS:GREAT VIRTUES: GREAT VIRTUES: ””And now abide faith, And now abide faith,

hopehope, and charity (love), , and charity (love), these three; but the these three; but the greatest of these is greatest of these is

charity (love).charity (love).””I Corinthians 13:13I Corinthians 13:13

OBSERVATIONS:OBSERVATIONS:HYMNOLOGY:#10: HYMNOLOGY:#10: ””Our Our hopehope is built on is built on

nothing less, than nothing less, than JesusJesus’’ blood and blood and righteousnessrighteousness…”…”

OBSERVATIONS:OBSERVATIONS:DEFINITION(S): DEFINITION(S):

~~Expectation of future good; Expectation of future good; ~~Desire for something better; Desire for something better; ~~belief in something unseen; belief in something unseen;

OBSERVATIONS:OBSERVATIONS:DEFINITION(S): DEFINITION(S): ~~passive passive (wish)(wish);;

~~active active (plan, desire (plan, desire requiring persistent requiring persistent

personal action again personal action again oddsodds……ieie P.O.W.sP.O.W.s));;

BIBLICALLY: BIBLICALLY: Psalms: Psalms:

39, 78, 119, etc39, 78, 119, etc……

Other: Other: Acts, HebrewsActs, Hebrews

Pauline Epistles: Pauline Epistles: Romans, Colossians, CorinthiansRomans, Colossians, Corinthians

Thessalonians, TitusThessalonians, Titus

JohanineJohanine Epistles: Epistles: I JohnI John

PetrinePetrine Epistles: Epistles: I PeterI Peter

SERMON PNTSSERMON PNTS#1: #1: PHARISEEPHARISEE#2: #2: PROMISEPROMISE

#3: #3: PREDICAMENTPREDICAMENT

SERMONIC SERMONIC POINT#1:POINT#1:

PHARISEEPHARISEE

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””They knew me from the They knew me from the

first, if they were willing to first, if they were willing to testify, that according to testify, that according to the strictest sect of our the strictest sect of our

religion religion I lived a I lived a PhariseePharisee””Acts 26:5Acts 26:5

Pharisees:Pharisees:SadducceesSadduccees::

Scribes: Scribes: HerodiansHerodians::Zealots: Zealots: EssenesEssenes::

PHARISEES: PHARISEES: religious traditionalists; rejected religious traditionalists; rejected MessiahshipMessiahship

SADDUCEES: SADDUCEES: denied resurrection; business in temple;denied resurrection; business in temple;

SCRIBES: SCRIBES: professional interpreters of the Law; professional interpreters of the Law;

HERODIANS: HERODIANS: JwshJwsh pltclpltcl. party of King Herod supporters; . party of King Herod supporters;

ZEALOTS: ZEALOTS: JwshJwsh patriots determinedpatriots determined……end Roman rule; end Roman rule;

ESSENES: ESSENES: JwshJwsh monastic group practicing R&C purity;monastic group practicing R&C purity;

PHARISEE: PHARISEE: religious traditionalists; rejected religious traditionalists; rejected MessiahshipMessiahship

SCRIBE: SCRIBE: professional interpreters of the Law; professional interpreters of the Law;

ZEALOT: ZEALOT: JwshJwsh patriots determinedpatriots determined……end Roman rule; end Roman rule;

SERMONIC SERMONIC POINT#2:POINT#2:

PROMISE PROMISE

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””And now I stand and And now I stand and

am judged for the am judged for the hopehopeof the of the PromisePromise made made

by GOD to our fathers.by GOD to our fathers.””Acts 26:6Acts 26:6

WHAT WAS WHAT WAS THE THE

PROMISEPROMISE??????

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””These all died in faith, These all died in faith, not having received the not having received the promisespromises, but having , but having

seen them afar seen them afar offoff……embraced them, embraced them,

and...and...”” Hebrews 11:13Hebrews 11:13

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””And all these, having And all these, having

obtained a good testimony obtained a good testimony through through fiathfiath, did not , did not receive the receive the promisepromise,,””

Hebrews 11:39Hebrews 11:39

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””And being assembled And being assembled

together with them, HE together with them, HE commanded themcommanded them……to wait to wait

for the for the PromisePromise of the of the FatherFather”” Acts 1:4Acts 1:4

SERMONIC SERMONIC POINT#3:POINT#3:

PREDICAMENT PREDICAMENT

SCRIPTURESCRIPTURE””To this To this promisepromise our our

twelve tribes, earnestly twelve tribes, earnestly serving GOD night and serving GOD night and

day, day, hopehope to attain. For to attain. For this this hopehope’’ss sake, King sake, King

Agrippa, I am accused by Agrippa, I am accused by the Jews.the Jews.”” Acts 26:7Acts 26:7

HOPE IS NOT HOPE IS NOT SEEN!!!SEEN!!!

HOPE IS HOPE IS ACCOMPANIED ACCOMPANIED BY A PLAN & IS BY A PLAN & IS

A PLAN!!!A PLAN!!!

BECAUSE OF BECAUSE OF MY HOPE, I AM MY HOPE, I AM

IN A IN A PREDICAMENT!PREDICAMENT!

CONCLUSION:CONCLUSION:#1: #1: PHARISEEPHARISEE#2: #2: PROMISEPROMISE

#3: #3: PREDICAMENTPREDICAMENT